'My friends betrayed me - and that just makes them evil': The world according to Leona Lewis

PUBLISHED: 22:00, 20 October 2012 | UPDATED: 22:07, 20 October 2012

The singer on working with Simon Cowell, rumours about her lovelife and why being famous can be lonely

'Being famous is very lonely. I don't have a huge circle of friends, but the ones I do have are really close to me. Who I trust depends on gut instinct, and Simon (Cowell) has encouraged me to cultivate this,' said Leona Lewis

Being famous is very lonely.

I don’t have a huge circle of friends, but the ones I do have are really close to me. Who I trust depends on gut instinct, and Simon (Cowell) has encouraged me to cultivate this. I’ve been let down really badly by a couple of friends in recent years who I thought were genuine but I then found out were selling stories about me, which was devastating. They betrayed me and that just makes them evil.

'I'm never going to be a size zero and I wouldn't want to be,' said Leona

Working with Simon Cowell is like being back at school and waiting to see the headmaster.

When I first started working with him, I was so nervous and intimidated by him. Our relationship has come full circle since then and now I give as good as I get. He loves an argument and someone to stand up to him.

No one – and I mean no one – has told me to lose weight, and they wouldn’t dare either.

I’m never going to be a size zero and I wouldn’t want to be. There’s a tremendous amount of pressure in this industry to be a stick insect but it’s not an issue that concerns me.

Money definitely opens doors.

I love horses and I’ve got my own six-year-old dressage horse stabled in LA that I hope to move over here soon. He’s my baby. And recently I flew by private jet to Milan Fashion Week, ate at the top restaurants and was front row at some of the shows. But money has enabled me to do so much too; I’ve been able to take care of my parents, who worked really hard to give me a comfortable upbringing, and I’m a keen supporter of Hopefield Animal Sanctuary in Essex. That brings me more joy than any bling.

All I’ll say about the rumours of me dating Liam from One Direction is you never know where things might end up if they’re given half a chance.

Other than that, I’ve never been one to talk about my personal life, because it’s important to keep a little bit of yourself sacred.

Too many celebs would sell their souls to the Devil just to get in the papers.

I have no desire to be ‘famous’ like that; I didn’t when I won The X Factor and I still don’t. The public don’t need to know every nuance of your life – it’s possible to give them a little insight and still have a normal, private life.

On Simon Cowell: 'He loves an argument and someone to stand up to him'

I almost gave it all up.

After leaving stage school, I had several years of working in boring, dead-end jobs to fund studio time so I could record a demo album, but I never landed a contract. Just as I was about to admit defeat and take a break from music to go to university, I was persuaded to audition for The X Factor. Sometimes you just never know where your break is going to come from.

The London riots were down to those involved having a total lack of discipline and respect.

I’m Hackney born and bred, where the riots were centred, and it was devastating seeing the area being overrun. Friends’ workplaces were being smashed up and petrol-bombed. I don’t care how poor you are, there’s simply no excuse for setting fire to property and looting.

Everything happens for a reason, even if it’s not obvious at the time.

I’ve made plenty of mistakes but – not to sound clichéd – I feel I was supposed to make them in order to learn important lessons from them. Otherwise I’d keep making the same ones and the results would be worse each time.

Leona’s new album ‘Glassheart’ is out now

KATCHING MY I

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Sunday 21 October 2012

The world according to Leona Lewis